Ex-Yankees prospect Ben Ruta rips organization's development track

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A former Yankees prospect sharply criticized the organization for its heavy use of analytics and predicted the team’s minor league coaching staffs would look very different after this year.

During an episode of the “Foul Territory” podcast on Wednesday, Ben Ruta, who was with the Yankees organization from 2016-2021, commented about the minor league staff and Brian Cashman’s all-chips-in approach to analytics.

“Ben Ruta is in the chat right now … and he threw a few comments out there: Fully expect them to clear house in the minor leagues, all the coaches were brought in by [former hitting coach] Dillon Lawson and the analytics guys,” podcast host Scott Braun read on air. “They will change developmental culture back to old Yankees days. Keep in mind, I played in the Yanks’ org before analytics (2016-2018) and then after (2018-2020). Stark difference in developments.”

Braun said he asked Ruta for an example and he pointed to spring training in 2020, prior to the COVID shutdowns.

“Here’s all you need to know,” Ruta said. “In 2020, before COVID hit spring training we played a game called ‘pitchers vs hitters,’ the only way to score a point was to walk or hit a ball 95 mph-plus. There’s no baseball being taught there anymore. No baserunning, moving runners, fundamentals, etc.”

The Yankees’ reliance on analytics has been a point of contention for the team’s fans, and apparently at least one player formerly in the organization.

Ruta took the discussion to X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) to say he wasn’t against the use of analytics, but would like to see a better of it while still teaching fundamental baseball skills.

“I do believe there is a place in the game for analytics,” Ruta wrote. “It needs to be a healthy mix. It’s not a knock on the coaches they have. They were doing exactly what they were hired to do. The strategy of running an org like this is just dumb.”

He later added on X: “Just have analytics and teach baseball. Have resources and voices for players to fall back on in both departments. Is it that hard?”

Ruta responded to one user who accused him of being upset that his time in the minors never led to a chance in the majors, which he denied.

In five seasons of minor league baseball, Ruta hit .253 with 24 home runs.

The Yankees have dropped to .500 this season and were 6 ½ games back of an AL wild-card spot going into their game Wednesday night at Atlanta.

The significant struggles this season have put extensive pressure on the Yankees.

The possibility of missing the postseason is looming over the final months of the season and have caused many to examine just where things are headed for the team.

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